A dinner-time class with 20 minutes of specific technique drilling, followed by specific sparring, then sparring.
I worked on a kimura drill and a leg triangle from an arm overbook in the technique drilling, and sort of did OK in the specific sparring bits, which focused on either attacking from guard or retaining guard.
I also got the chance to roll with a purple belt who managed to continually stuff one of my arms so I couldn't use it to defend his attacks. It was a good technique. I shall employ this myself.
Things to remember: Keep drilling.
Wednesday, 1 July 2015
Monday, 29 June 2015
Class 170...
An open-mat session and non-stop rolling for about 80 minutes, which was a stamina-sapper.
The good news is that I was hard to tap among the fellow white belts that I rolled with… until my strength and endurance went and then I was useless.
But I was threatening a few kimuras and omoplatas and I did some good escape work. I even managed a few positional reversals.
One of my fellow white belts is very small and very fast, though, and trying lock him up is like trying to knit fog. It's an example I can learn from, though, as his constant movement makes it tough to tap him.
I love open mat sessions. I just sometimes worry I enjoy rolling so much I sometimes forget to focus and drill.
Things to remember: Constant movement makes it harder for your opponent to nail a position.
The good news is that I was hard to tap among the fellow white belts that I rolled with… until my strength and endurance went and then I was useless.
But I was threatening a few kimuras and omoplatas and I did some good escape work. I even managed a few positional reversals.
One of my fellow white belts is very small and very fast, though, and trying lock him up is like trying to knit fog. It's an example I can learn from, though, as his constant movement makes it tough to tap him.
I love open mat sessions. I just sometimes worry I enjoy rolling so much I sometimes forget to focus and drill.
Things to remember: Constant movement makes it harder for your opponent to nail a position.
Monday, 22 June 2015
Classes 167-169...
Two early-morning classes and an open mat session in a seven-day period. My body is starting to recover.
The early morning classes focused on the extended half guard. The take-home advice from these two classes was as follows:
i) The bottom man should always fight for an underhook on the same side as the opponent's trapped leg, then attack for the opponent's back.
ii) The top man should always fight to prevent the underhook. If the man on the bottom secures the undertook, then the man on top needs to switch base.
iii) The man on the bottom should always have his near arm inside the vertical knee in half guard. If the arm is outside, the man on top can pressure smash through because the integrity of the frame is jeopardised.
iv) The man on top needs to change his angle and secure the legs before attempting to pass. He needs to move round where the frame is strongest.
The open mat session was a bit of drilling with lots of sparring. I did OK in the sparring and I am starting to improve my defence against slightly more senior belts.
Things to remember: Extend the frame in half-guard and keep the elbow inside the knee if you're on the bottom; fight for the underhook. On the top, bypass the legs and pressure pass.
The early morning classes focused on the extended half guard. The take-home advice from these two classes was as follows:
i) The bottom man should always fight for an underhook on the same side as the opponent's trapped leg, then attack for the opponent's back.
ii) The top man should always fight to prevent the underhook. If the man on the bottom secures the undertook, then the man on top needs to switch base.
iii) The man on the bottom should always have his near arm inside the vertical knee in half guard. If the arm is outside, the man on top can pressure smash through because the integrity of the frame is jeopardised.
iv) The man on top needs to change his angle and secure the legs before attempting to pass. He needs to move round where the frame is strongest.
The open mat session was a bit of drilling with lots of sparring. I did OK in the sparring and I am starting to improve my defence against slightly more senior belts.
Things to remember: Extend the frame in half-guard and keep the elbow inside the knee if you're on the bottom; fight for the underhook. On the top, bypass the legs and pressure pass.
Tuesday, 16 June 2015
Classes 165-166...
Back on the mat with two open mat sessions to check out how my injury is doing. The good news is I'm pretty much there and should be back in full training mode this week.
In the first open mat, I did a bit of flow rolling with a friend of mine who's much smaller than me but much more skilled. I also did a bit of no-ti, too.
In the second open mat, I got stuck in a bit more with a stringer and younger white belt, whose technique suggested he was more like a blue belt in waiting.
It was good to be back, though, and I'm playing more with establishing my guard and attacking from there with kimuras and chokes. I'm also having some success with hitting the leg triangle from both on top and on the bottom in side control.
Things to remember: Keep playing guard.
In the first open mat, I did a bit of flow rolling with a friend of mine who's much smaller than me but much more skilled. I also did a bit of no-ti, too.
In the second open mat, I got stuck in a bit more with a stringer and younger white belt, whose technique suggested he was more like a blue belt in waiting.
It was good to be back, though, and I'm playing more with establishing my guard and attacking from there with kimuras and chokes. I'm also having some success with hitting the leg triangle from both on top and on the bottom in side control.
Things to remember: Keep playing guard.
Friday, 29 May 2015
Class 164...
My third class of the week and I made it through a gruelling warm-up, then it was straight into sparring... and twang! Something turned in my back as a much heavier purple belt flattened me out and drove their weight through me.
Fortunately, it's an old injury so I wasn't too worried. I'll be off training for about a week. But it's a salient reminder not to overdo anything. I'm 46 and I need to pace myself occasionally, especially if things are also hectic in other areas of my life.
Fortunately, it's an old injury so I wasn't too worried. I'll be off training for about a week. But it's a salient reminder not to overdo anything. I'm 46 and I need to pace myself occasionally, especially if things are also hectic in other areas of my life.
Wednesday, 20 May 2015
Class 163...
Another early-morning session, featuring a back climb and a sweep from the bottom in half guard from the previous class. There was an initial variation I missed on this, which went something like this:
i) Opponent's right leg is trapped in your half guard; you have a high half-guard control, which means your left leg is under the armpit of the opponent and your left arm is on the inside of your left leg; use your leg to push the opponent off; as he pressures back down, secure the left underhook and shrimp down so your head is on the belly of the opponent and you are propped up on your right elbow; from here, reach round and attack the back.
I was paired with a very helpful purple belt who showed me some gripping sequences to turn the back take options into a choke. The key seemed to be either establishing a collar grip or moving into the rear naked choke.
I again did OK in sparring and I felt quite mobile against three fellow white belts. I also defended quite well and locked in a few submissions, including a kimura and the knuckle variation of an Ezekiel choke.
I struggled to pass one of my fellow white belt's open guards, though. I need to look at some guard passing strategies again.
Things to remember: Keep using the Ezekiel choke; do some research into guard breaking, then guard passing.
i) Opponent's right leg is trapped in your half guard; you have a high half-guard control, which means your left leg is under the armpit of the opponent and your left arm is on the inside of your left leg; use your leg to push the opponent off; as he pressures back down, secure the left underhook and shrimp down so your head is on the belly of the opponent and you are propped up on your right elbow; from here, reach round and attack the back.
I was paired with a very helpful purple belt who showed me some gripping sequences to turn the back take options into a choke. The key seemed to be either establishing a collar grip or moving into the rear naked choke.
I again did OK in sparring and I felt quite mobile against three fellow white belts. I also defended quite well and locked in a few submissions, including a kimura and the knuckle variation of an Ezekiel choke.
I struggled to pass one of my fellow white belt's open guards, though. I need to look at some guard passing strategies again.
Things to remember: Keep using the Ezekiel choke; do some research into guard breaking, then guard passing.
Monday, 18 May 2015
Class 162...
An early-morning session, featuring a back climb and a sweep from the bottom in half guard. These went something like this:
i) Opponent's right leg is trapped in your half guard; secure sleeve control of opponent's right hand with either two against one or your right arm only; yank the opponent's right arm across your body and under his; then shrimp out and grab the opponent's left lat; take the back.
ii) Opponent's right leg is trapped in your half guard; secure sleeve control of opponent's right hand with either two against one or your right arm only; yank the opponent's right arm across your body and under his; opponent defends by grabbing your leg; push the opponent away and use his momentum as he comes back to sweep him over.
I did OK in sparring and I felt quite mobile against three fellow white belts. I also defended quite well and locked in a few submissions. A good class.
Things to remember: Keep working from guard with the arm across the throat and the wrist control. It's starting to pay dividends.
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